Conveyer for bags



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN E. BROWN, OF FITGHB JRG, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, TO BROWN BAG FILLING MACHINE CO., OF FITGI-TBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAssACHUsETTs.

CONVEYER FOR BAGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Original application filed September 3, 1912, Serial No. 718,270. ,Divided and this application filed July 27, 1917. Serial No. 183.123.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at F itchburg', county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an improvement in Conveyors for Bags, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characterson the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the pro- 'duction of an apparatus for facilitating the assembling of a series of different articles into a single package and is more particularly designed for use in connection with the apparatus shown in my Patent No. 1,235,284, granted July 31, 1917, of the application for which the present is a division.

In United States Patent No. 752,373, granted to me February 16, 1904, an apparatus is shown and described for facilitating the handling and sealing of envelops or bags each containing a plurality of smaller sealed bags containing different seeds or other articles, the large bags being brought to the sealing devices on a traveling conveyer.

A later Patent No. 877,900 granted February 4, 1908 to J. R. Brown, designed for use in connection with the first mentioned apparatus, embodies a series of bins for containing the small bags or envelops having different varieties of seeds or similar articles therein, and a distributing reservoir in front of each bin, to contain a supply of the envelops in condition for easy handling.

The conveyer referred to in my prior Patout No. 877,900 is arranged with its upper run in front of the reservoirs, and, as the large envelops or bags are carried along the conveyer, operatives take'the required number or set of small sealed bags from the reservoirs and place them in each of the large bags, the latter thereafter being conveyed to the sealing orfastening mechanism substantially as disclosed in my prior patent.

The practical operation of this assembling apparatus has disclosed certain feature which tend to slow down or impede the progress of the operation as a whole, for the large bags or envelops lie flat upon the conveyer in such a way that time is lost in the conveyer and the operatives have to handle them more than is desirable.

My present invention has for its object the production of an assembling apparatus which will be free from the above noted objections, and in the present embodiment of my invention I have provided the traveling conveyer with means whereby the large empty bags or envelops when placed thereon will be positioned most favorably for filling and for transfer thereafter to the fastening mechanism with a minimum of handling.

The apparatus in which my invention is embodied conserves time and energy on the part of the operatives, and the output of the apparatus as a whole is largely increased.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a front'elevation of one end portion of the endless conveyer-with one guide ledge removed.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the upper run of the conveyer when seen from the front of the apparatus, the nearer antifriction rolls being removed.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 3. V

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, detached, of a side stop for use in connection with the bag or envelop supports on the conveyer.

Hereinafter the word bag is used as a comprehensive term to indicate the bag, envelop or other similar receptacle which is to be filled with a plurality of objects such as a set of small filled packages or envelops.

It is to be understood that only a portion of this endless conveyer is shown in Fig. 1 and, further, that only one end of the supporting structure is shown. The other end portion of this conveyer structure is similar, and hence need not be again illustrated.

At each end of the apparatus there is provided suitable frame work as G, Fig. 1,

I and is guided.

for the support of each rotatable drum H on each of which is mounted an endless flexible belt conveyer I. The conveyer I is driven; from a suitable source of power (not shown). 7

' The upper run of the conveyer travels upon a flat horizontal shelf-like support L carried on suitable brackets of the frame. E The support L is provided with front and back ledges c, 6 between whiclrtheupper run of-the conveyer-travels ing reservoirs '(shown in the above mentioned Patent No. 1,235,284 of which this is divisional), the sealed envelops or packages taken therefrom can be dropped into the bags without any handling ofthe latter. I As will appear hereinafter the bag supports are so constructed that theempty bags can be applied thereto instantly and full bags can be as quickly removed to be fastened or-sealed.

The bag support may be made in various forms, and herein there is shown one con- .venient structure, comprising a thin sheet metal plate 1 having tubular, laterally sepa-. rated eyes 2, 3 at its upper and lower edges. The eyes 3 are interposed between similar eyes 4: formed on a foot plate 5 and a pintle 6 connects the two sets of eyes to form a hinge joint.

The eyes2 are interposed between similar eyes 7, formed on the upper edge of a metal plate 8 constituting a strut or brace. The plate 8 is pivotally connected with the support lby a rod 9 extended through the eyes 2 and 7, Fig. 4, the endsofsaid rod extending beyond the bag support, for a purpose to 'be referred to.

At the bottom this brace is provided with "eyes 10, which are interposed between eyes 11 on an anchor 12 and pivotally connected thereto by a pintle 13, the foot-plate 5 being seated on the anchor 12 and secured thereto by suitable rivets 14: which attach the latter to the conveyer.

The brace 8 of a bag support is spaced 1 7 apart therefrom such a distance that the support 1 will be maintained at the desired angle with relation to the upper run of the'conveyer, the bottom of the Opened bag M restingbetween the lower end of its support and the pivotal connection between the next brace 8 beyond and the conveyor, as shown at the right, Fig. 1. 7

As the conveyer' travels around the convex surface of each drum H, the pivotal connection between each bag support and its back brace permits the requisite change in the angle between said parts, the jointing 0r articulation of the bag supports and their braces together and to the conveyer giving all requisite flexibility and preventing cramping or distortion.

The opened bags will be placed against the supports 1 when the latter are in their proper operative position, shown atthe right, Fig. '1, and the supported and positioned bags will be moved past suitable in strumentalities where operatives may be stationed to fill the bags, and the filled bags are then conveyed to the vicinity of a fastening mechanism where the filled bags may be removed.

To safeguard the bags from any accidentaldisplacement transversely of the conveyer there has been devised a side'guard or stop, which can be removably applied to the bag support at either side thereof, the

stop when positioned preventing lateral movement of the bag at that side of the 243 support.

Referring to Fig. 5 the stop or guard, preferably made of resilient sheet metal, comprises a flat body bent up atone end at 15 and slitted to present a central tongue 16 and the shorter side portions 17, the tongue being struck up slightly from the plane of the body, and preferably it is downturned at its tip, at 18. t i

The guard is applied to the edge of the bag support, the parts 17 passing behind and the tongue 16 in front of the support. The support 1 is centrally slotted at '19 to receive the tip 18 of the tongue, and it is also preferred to notch the side. edge of the support, at E20, to receive the upset or bent root of the tongue, this arrangement maintaining the side stop or guard at a fixed distance from the conveyer and locked upon the bag support, the resiliency of the guard assist-- ing in so doing.

Bymaking the side stop reversible as to the bag support the conveyer equipped with bag supports can be used interchangeably at the back or front of the apparatus without a any alteration other than to shift the stops from one to the other side of the bag supports. 7

Herein the stops are set to prevent any transverse movement of a off its support toward the backof the conveyer.

It will be noted that the stops do not interfere in the least'with the placing or removal of the bags. j

The bag supports and their adjuncts, even when made as light in weight as is compatible with strength and durability, will add quite materially to the dead load of the conveyor, and this is particularly the case when long runs of feet or more are used.

Hence the strain upon the conveyer would be urious and would cause rapid wear of the c ying mechanism unless the lower run of the conveyer were supported between the drums, and means are therefore provided for supporting the lower run of the conveyer in such manner that it is not subjected to any material strain.

Itcierring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that as the bag supports pass around the drum H they are brought into a depending position beneath the part of the conveyer constituting the lower run thereof. Anti-friction or bearing rolls 21 are mounted to rotate freely on the ends of the transverse rods 9 which project as above stated beyond the bag supports.

These rolls are separated from the adjacent eyes 2 in any suitable manner, as by a washer and cotter-pin device 22. And, in a similar manner, each roll is retained on its rod at 23.

As the braced bag supports swing downward the bearing rolls 21 are brought into engagement with a flat and slightlv inclined track 24, Fig. 1, and the rolls travel upward thereon until they pass therefrom on to a horizontal section 25 of the track 24, this horizontal section being extended the major portion of the length of the apparatus.

From the horizontal section 25 the bearing rolls 21 travel down a similar inclined section at the other end of the conveyer structure until they pass from its lower end when the corresponding bag supports are carried around the other drum.

By the arrangement described the lower run of the conveyer 1 is supported in a horizontal plane for the greater part of its length, so that none of its adjuncts add their weight from one end to the other end of the track section 25, and, as will be ap parent, the two inlined sections 2 1, support all but say four or five of the depending bag supports.

It is preferable to use the inclined approaching section 24; and the oppositely inclined leaving section, because thereby the support of the lower run of the conveyer is gradually transmitted through the supports 1 and braces 8 to the section 2% and the belt is g adually elevated to horizontal position, while the support of the conveyer is gradually withdrawn by the inclination of the opposite section 26.

By the construction shown there is practically no sag whatever to the lower run of the conveyer and, as there is substantially no stretch, tension means or belt tightening devices need not be employed.

When the bag supports are on the upper run of the conveyer they are subjected to very little strain, but both the supports and their back braces are put under com-- pression on the lower run, and operate in the manner of an articulated truss to sustain the lower run.

Various changes or modifications in details of construction and arrangement may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the claims hereunto annexed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described,an endless traveling conveyer having rotatable drums at the ends of the runs thereof, a series of regularly spaced bag supports pivotally connected with the conveyer, projecting therefrom at an oblique angle and provided with braces to maintain them in said angular position relatively to the conveyer when on the upper and lower runs thereof, bearing rolls connected with each support, and a fixed track beneath the conveyer and along which the rolls travel when the bag supports are on the lower run to sustain the same.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, an endless traveling conveyer having rotatable drums at the ends of the runs thereof, a series of bag supports mounted on the conveyer and acting to sustain bags resting thereagainst in substantially upright position with their mouths uppermost when on the upper run, and a side stop detachably mounted on the side of each bag support to prevent transverse displacement of a bag resting against the support.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, an endless flexible conveyer having a substantially horizontal upper run, a series of regularly spaced sheet metal bag supports attached to the conveyer, means connected with each support to maintain it in bagsustaining position when on the upper run of the conveyer, and a side stop adapted to be detachably mounted on either side of a bag support to prevent transverse displacement of a bag.

1. In an appa 'atus of the class described, a flexible conveyer, a sheet metal bag support attached to the conveyer having a central slot and a notch in each of its side edges, and a side stop having a resilient tongue provided with a tip to enter the slot, the base of the tongue entering one of the notches, to maintain the stop in position and prevent lateral displacement of a bag sustained by the support.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, an endless flexible conveyer having a substantially horizontal upper run, a series of regularly spaced flat bag supporting members each projecting from the conveyer at an oblique angle thereto and pivotally mounted at its lower'edge to and trans -v versely of said conveyor, and a brace for each bag supporting member pivotally mounted to said member at its upper edge and'to and transversely of said conveyer at its lower edge. e

6. In an apparatusof the class described 'rolls mounted on the pivotal connection between the said bag supporting members and braces, the said rolls riding on said track and sustaining and supporting the conveyor 20 through the said members and braces dur- "ing the lower run of the conveyor.

In testimony whereof, I'have signed my name to this specification.

BENJAMIN F. BROWN.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,350,777, granted Aogust 24, 1920, upon the application of Benjamin F. Brown, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Conveyers for Bags, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 120, claim 4, strike out the Word flexible; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of September, A. D., 1920.

[SEAL] M. H. COULSTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. Cl. 1932. 

